NCAA Football '12 impressions thread

[Kodos]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je1Q-2E6tN4

Promotional video for NCAA '12 is out.

My favorite part:

http://media.operationsports.com/shots/1303240731-media.jpg

[Ksyrup]

Looks like they anticipate Mangini coaching Northwestern this year.

[Groundhog]

Presentation looks nice, but I skip all that after about the first 2 days of playing anyhow. I just hope they improve the talent level of incoming recruits, because they went from one extreme to the other in last year's version, and it was enough to make me put the title down after playing through 9 seasons with Hawaii, with all the other teams in my conference being D- across the board.

[molson]

Looks like they anticipate Mangini coaching Northwestern this year.

And it looks like he's trimmed down quite a bit.

[Noop]

They have Chief Osceola in this game. Still will not be buying NCAA or MADDEN been burned one too many times.

[markprior22]

They have Chief Osceola in this game. Still will not be buying NCAA or MADDEN been burned one too many times.

+1 I bought NCAA last year, won't be buying either this year. It's always the same cycle...game comes out...you very quickly realize all the shortcomings...wait for 3 patches...lose all interest in playing (there is usually at least one big problem for careers/franchise players that the patches don't fix any way)...trade it in for something else.

I've finally woken up and realized that the game I'm hoping for isn't going to happen anytime soon (with these series anyway).

[wishbone]

I've started buying my sports games every 3 years or so. Not enough changes from year to year but at 3+ years there is enough improvement to justify the expense. I don't play online though, that probably makes a difference.

[JediKooter]

That is a huge potato.

[MizzouRah]

Can't wait!

I'm still playing NCAA 11.

[dawgfan]

*sigh*

Wherefore art TCY2 Jim? - a hungry FOFC community awaits a good reason to quit futzing with the EA NCAA series dynasty mode...

[BYU 14]

*sigh*

Wherefore art TCY2 Jim? - a hungry FOFC community awaits a good reason to quit futzing with the EA NCAA series dynasty mode...

+ whatever comes after infinity

[Mike1409]

+1 I bought NCAA last year, won't be buying either this year. It's always the same cycle...game comes out...you very quickly realize all the shortcomings...wait for 3 patches...lose all interest in playing (there is usually at least one big problem for careers/franchise players that the patches don't fix any way)...trade it in for something else.

I've finally woken up and realized that the game I'm hoping for isn't going to happen anytime soon (with these series anyway).

I have to agree. I am going to wait this year. I am just not sure if this year the changes are worth an early purchase.

[Balldog]

I have to agree. I am going to wait this year. I am just not sure if this year the changes are worth an early purchase.

I thought NCAA 11 was decent, best version in a long time but that isn't say much. With that said I think I'm in the same boat, unless there are major improvements to Gameplay, AI, and Dynasty I don't see myself buying for a few years again.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I'm to the point where I had so much fun with NCAA11, even with some of its flaws, that I think I'm just going to start a completely new dynasty in 11 when I'm ready to get back into college football rather than buy the new one. That's what I say now, anyway. I know how I am, and when college football ends, so does my interest in playing the game. So I know I've only got about 6 months of time, and if 3-4 months of that is tied up in waiting for patches and tweaks to gameplay to make the game as playable and realistic as it can be, I've lost most of my playing time.

I think the better approach for me is to stick with the older game, and if the new one is as good as everyone says it is (by December, usually), then I'd switch to the new one for next year. If it isn't, or it breaks as many things as it fixes and ends up no better than 11, then I haven't wasted an entire season trying to get settings perfect when I could have been playing a game where I have all the settings down and enjoying it the entire season.

So that's my plan - subject to change around mid-July. :)

[ColtCrazy]

Okay, the IU rock is good in my book, but I skipped NCAA last year, and only got Madden because I renewed my Sports Illustrated subscription. Definitely going to see if the franchise options are improved. Otherwise, I'll take another year off.

[CleBrownsfan]

Not to thread jack the NCAA thread but isn't this the year that Madden was suppose to get an overhaul in the franchise area? Any news on new features for MAdden?

[Kodos]

I'll admit it.... I'm excited about this game, and will likely be preordering it in the near future. :)

http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ncaa-football/479018-ncaa-football-12-hands-improved-zone-defense-new-tackling-engine-tso.html


EA SPORTS NCAA Football 2012: Hands on with improved zone defense and new tackling engine

Posted 21 April 2011 | NCAA Football,NCAA Football News

EA SPORTS NCAA Football 11 was a huge leap for the series and generally embraced by the community as the best version of the game since moving to the second generation gaming platforms. Even with such a strong showing last year, there were still some critical areas of the title that needed to be addressed for 2012. After 4 trips to Tiburon and 120+ hours with the game since January, here’s my initial thoughts on a few things.

Game play, game play, game play… that’s all you hear about from the diehard fans of the game and I think that’s exactly what you’ll be getting on July 12th. This year the team has focused on improving some core aspects on the defensive side of the ball. Improved zone coverage was a must and EA SPORTS has delivered on that front.

This year defenders will play in a much more dynamic fashion inside their zone assignment. Gone are the days of defenders being limited to defending their little circle of assignment and isolating themselves from the flow of the offensive play. This year, defenders will play more realistically inside their assignment. They aggressively pick up players who enter their zones, playing with leverage and using realistic angles to better defend against a pass to a WR inside their assigned area. Defenders will also communicate and point out WR’s to their teammates as they leave and enter different areas of the defense. The defense plays as a more cohesive unit instead of each player appearing to be on an island just defending their area.

This has greatly improved the ability of the defense to defend the middle of the field as well as protecting against the flats where some teams make a living throwing to their running backs. Overall the defenders are just more intelligent within their assignments and it’s much harder to move the football consistently against a good defense.

Another addition that should improve the defensive side of the ball from a physicality stand point is multiple collision tackles. Defenders that peruse will now be rewarded with opportunities to lay the wood to players who are fighting for extra yards or being held up by the initial tackle attempt. Some of the hits I’ve seen are devastating, both in their rendering and on the actual player taking the hit. Injuries seem a bit more pronounced with violent hits and definitely the opportunity to cause a turnover increases for defenses if they are gang tackling and good in pursuit.

Overall I think you’re going to see more balanced game play with the defensive improvements this year and hopefully we can get back to seeing some dominant defensive play in EA SPORTS NCAA Football 2012.

Look for more exclusive hands on information from TSO as we get closer to release day.

[Kodos]

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/OrpjbH3261o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[NorvTurnerOverdrive]

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jj0TuskE7Hw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[SegRat]

The first NCAA 12 blog

Hey NCAA fans! It's Scantlebury here to give you some insight on what the Central Gameplay team has been cooking up for the NCAA Football 12 title. We’ve touched several core areas of gameplay including: tackling, blocking, catching, and coverage. The changes we have made will be evident on the very first play of the game and I’m not talking about your first snap – I mean from the opening Kickoff. Let me tell you a little bit about what we’re doing for each of the core areas of gameplay to give you guys a brand new gaming experience.

NO MORE SUCTION ON TACKLES. Yeah you read that correctly. Did you hate it when you would do a spin move then get sucked back into a tackle? Or when you would be running through a hole in the line—a clear lane—and then a D-Lineman just warps in front of you and makes the tackle? Well this year there is no more warping on tackles. Tackles only occur on collision. So you won’t see a tackle happen unless actual collision is made between the ball carrier and the defender. Jukes and spins are more valuable than they ever have been and running through holes in the line never felt so good.

MOMENTUM ON TACKLES. We’ve all seen this happen: you’re running down the field with a full head of steam and then when you meet up with a defender WHAM complete momentum stop. It’s like the two of you were never running and collided with each other from only two feet away. Well, this year when you see that same situation you will actually notice the preservation of momentum on the tackle. Who wins the momentum battle depends on various factors including speed, size, and weight of the participants in the tackle. If the defender wins you’ll see the ball carrier being driven back as soon as they collide and that will carry through even as the players hit the ground. The movement doesn’t stop as soon as the players hit the ground; it carries through just like real life.

TACKLE BUTTON. This is a new feature that we have added this year; the old Dive Button has been replaced by the Tackle Button. Now this doesn’t guarantee that you’ll make the tackle but once you hit the button you are driven towards the ball carrier. There is a timing aspect to this because if you hit the button too early your defender will lunge in a last ditch effort to make a tackle. This is incredibly useful because the same way CPU defenders have no suction on tackle attempts, neither do user defenders. So, as you can imagine, it is somewhat harder to be pin-point accurate and run into that moving ball carrier. The same steering is applied to our Hit Stick and Strip ball Tackle attempt so the choice is yours. Personally, I like the play it safe and hit the Tackle Button.

NO MORE SUCTION ON BLOCKS. You know if we removed the suction on tackles we certainly corrected that on blocks, too. I know too many of us have said at least one time, “hey I got sucked into that block.” Please believe me, I feel your pain. Right when you are about to make a tackle, out of nowhere you get sucked into a block. The crazy thing is you actually feel like you are being pulled, I don’t mean the character in the game I mean YOU (well that’s how I felt anyway). Now that’s a thing of the past. If you get by that blocker or he’s not in the appropriate position to make the blocks you won’t get sucked back into him, you’ll continue traveling to your final destination which is undoubtedly the ball carrier.

CATCHING THE LOVE. Yes, we had to give some love to catching, as well. We made a deliberate effort to add some new sprint catches to reduce warping and sliding when the receiver positions himself to catch a pass. Another great addition is the brand new dive catches. If the ball is far out ahead of you then a dive catch may get you there to make the play. The dive catches in NCAA Football 12 are reliable and incredibly useful. And, in case you were wondering, yes, the user can trigger the same dive catches that the CPU players can trigger. In previous years, you would get the same ineffective generic dive catch every time you hit the button, but now you get a dive catch that matches the same way you get a sideline catch or a jump catch that matches. Trust me; if you make use of it when the opportunity arises you won’t be disappointed.

That’s just a few of the gameplay improvements in NCAA Football 12 that I know will enhance your experience. Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog for more information regarding tackling (add-ons and stealing tackles), as well as new and improved defensive zone logic.

Additional information will be released soon, including announcements about your favorite features like Dynasty and Road to Glory!

[MizzouRah]

Thanks SegRat..

[Logan]

I love the developer blogs which basically state "Hey here's all the things we sucked at for the last 10 years but you spent $500 on it anyway, thanks!"

[Kodos]

Good news for fans of Coach Mode (I know we have a few here). It's in for this year.

NCAA Football 12 Developer Chat on EA Sports Live, Coach Mode Announced - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ncaa-football/484328-ncaa-football-12-developer-chat-ea-sports-live-coach-mode-announced.html)

[BillJasper]

Not to thread jack the NCAA thread but isn't this the year that Madden was suppose to get an overhaul in the franchise area? Any news on new features for MAdden?

IGN has a bunch of info, but this single screen shot scares the shit out of me...

IGN: Madden NFL 12 Screenshots (PS3) 3447734 (http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/103602/madden-nfl-12/images/madden-nfl-12-20110512020839822.html)

A '57' rated fullback averaging 29.1 yard per carry. :lol:

[BYU 14]

Good news for fans of Coach Mode (I know we have a few here). It's in for this year.

NCAA Football 12 Developer Chat on EA Sports Live, Coach Mode Announced - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ncaa-football/484328-ncaa-football-12-developer-chat-ea-sports-live-coach-mode-announced.html)


This is a welcome addition. Takes me about a month every year just to get a good set of sliders, so I like this option.

[Mike Lowe]

All of this and OL will still not register pancakes in games to match simmed stats. Awesome.

[Balldog]

This is a welcome addition. Takes me about a month every year just to get a good set of sliders, so I like this option.

Yeah but will we still have to play special teams ?

[Kodos]

I'm am officially very excited about NCAA 2012. Custom conferences (4-16 teams, ability to rename, etc.), the ability to start as a coordinator and move up..... This is a dream come true. Hopefully they've bumped the number of teambuilder teams you can use too.

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/116/1169273p1.html

Now, sure, you could customize conferences in NCAA Football 11, but that was really just a swap. You could switch a team out of a given conference, but you had to put another in its place. This year, you can do whatever the hell you want. You can take the Big 12 and drop it down to four teams or go nuts and crank it up to 16. You can set it so that your conference only plays weekday games, name the divisions, and even mess with who gets to go to which bowl. NCAA Football 12 gives you the keys and lets you drive the game wherever you want it to go.


E3 2011: NCAA Football 12 Is Yours to Rule
Customize your coach, conference, playbook and so much more.
May 19, 2011 May 19, 2011 May 19, 2011
User icon for Greggy-IGNLevel 18
by Greg Miller

LATEST IMAGES
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EVENT COVERAGE
E3 2011

It can be hard getting excited for an annual football franchise. Sure, there will be new players, new mechanics, and a new sheen to everything, but in reality, isn't it just the same thing as last year? In the case of NCAA Football 12, the answer is "hell no."

We already know that the presentation in NCAA Football 12 has been amped up this year with team traditions, the Georgia bulldog sitting on the sidelines, and so on. Still, there's a lot left in this story, and it's yours to write -- particularly in the game's Dynasty mode.

NCAA Football 12 Video Preview

One of the first "professional" video game articles I ever wrote was bitching about how my alma mater Mizzou's coach was a fat ass in the NCAA games but not in real life. Well, five years after publishing that insightful editorial, EA and Tiburon have responded and given players the ability to create their own coaches from scratch. You can modify looks, set ages and even pick an alma mater. Save these changes, and you can share them with the world and every mode in your game.

That stuff might sound cosmetic, but it plays into the cool changes in Dynasty mode. When you start, you can choose to go be the head coach of whatever school you like, but the real challenge is taking on one of the new offensive or defensive coordinator slots and working your way up to running an entire team. Yes, this year you can be one of the assistant coaches and manage just one side of the ball for entire games. Do well, and the shot at a head coaching job might pop up.

Monitoring how well you're doing comes down to dynamic meters and annual goals. As your boys perform on the field, you're going to be able to see how satisfied your school is with you. That's not entirely new, but the change here is that each goal you're assigned has a different weight. Winning your division is going to mean a lot to a smaller school, but Ohio State's going to want that and a National Championship.

At the end of each season, the coaching carousel pops up and shows who has retired, who has been fired, and who has taken another job. This is your chance to see how things shake down for the school you really want to go to. Your prestige is obviously what schools are looking at when offering you a contract, but if you're alma mater is on the market, it'll be more attracted to you and likely to cut you some slack if your prestige isn't rocking. Similarly, if your coach is getting ancient, don't expect people to be beating down his door with offers.

I was a big fan of online Dynasty last year, and applying these coaching options to a group of friends is what really gets me excited. A Dynasty where we all start out as offensive or defensive coordinators puts a new spin on the competition, but it's far from the only tweak. When you setup a Dynasty, you have control like never before -- you can make and break conferences.

Now, sure, you could customize conferences in NCAA Football 11, but that was really just a swap. You could switch a team out of a given conference, but you had to put another in its place. This year, you can do whatever the hell you want. You can take the Big 12 and drop it down to four teams or go nuts and crank it up to 16. You can set it so that your conference only plays weekday games, name the divisions, and even mess with who gets to go to which bowl. NCAA Football 12 gives you the keys and lets you drive the game wherever you want it to go.

Simming a game from a PC will look like this.
Simming a game from a PC will look like this.
I can't wait to see what this means for my online Dynasty with friends, but there are even more bells and whistles in that vein. Whereas last year I could go on the web at work and recruit players for my console-based team, this year I can go on and simulate games against the computer where I'm actually calling the shots. Rather than have to play the AI when I get home, I can play the game from my work PC -- pick plays and even sub in players. I can watch the on-screen dots (it looks like when you watch a football game on summary on ESPN.com) move down the field during conference calls and make progress for my Dynasty. The league commissioner can even advance the week via the web this year.

I like NCAA Football as a series, but before, I felt like I could skip an iteration of the franchise if I had just bought the last one. I have NCAA Football 11, and there's no doubt I'm getting NCAA Football 12. The changes EA has made this year speak to what I've wanted out of the game for so long -- customization. I can't wait to start an online Dynasty with my best friend and work our way up from lowly offensive coordinators to a National Championship coaches.

Plus, not having a really fat Mizzou coach by default will be sweet.

[Ksyrup]

I definitely like the the fact that coaches are going to retire, even the idea of starting as a coordinator is pretty cool. I just hope the coaching carousel thing isn't cosmetic - I hope they have certain schemes attached to them, so if GT's coach retires or gets fired, the new coach brings in a new offense and they don't keep running the option.

If I had to guess, I'm betting the names change but nothing else does.

The conference customization sounds cool, but as a practical matter, I bet I'd never use it.

[Kodos]

I'm already dreaming up realignments. :) It's like Conference Armageddon all over!

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I can understand it would be cool to make up an alternate college universe - or try to reimagine what the conference alignments would look like in a few years if they went to the 4 16-team super-conferences that were getting talked about last year - but I prefer to play realistically.

[k0ruptr]

why do they always make it sound so damn good. argh.

[Kodos]

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/116/1169273/ncaa-football-12-20110519094410883_640w.jpg

Yeah, Baby!

[Izulde]

...I was going to pass this year, but conference realignment and the coach/coordinator modes may have sucked me in. Damn it.

[wade moore]

I took last year off.

Maybe all of this customization combined with an FOFC league would get me interested.. hrmm..

[CleBrownsfan]

Another year where I say to myself I'm not going to buy an EA football game this year but still do... who was I kidding?! ;)

[gstelmack]

Another year where folks say they would never buy an EA football game again, change their minds when all the screenshots and interviews come out, and are complaining about it 2 weeks after it hits and threatening to never buy another EA football game again...

[wade moore]

Another year where folks say they would never buy an EA football game again, change their minds when all the screenshots and interviews come out, and are complaining about it 2 weeks after it hits and threatening to never buy another EA football game again...

I broke the seal last year, finally, by not buying one.

I'll at least wait to see what FOFC people say before I buy one. I really didn't miss it all that much reall,y, which is telling.

[CleBrownsfan]

Another year where folks say they would never buy an EA football game again, change their minds when all the screenshots and interviews come out, and are complaining about it 2 weeks after it hits and threatening to never buy another EA football game again...

I personally never publicly complain - I just take EA Sports games in stride :cool:

[Kodos]

I skipped two out of the last three Maddens, but haven't skipped any of the NCAA Footballs. NCAA 2010's OD was horribly screwed, but last season's worked well enough.

Basically, football games have always been my most important video games. They've driven console purchases at times (I bought the POS Dreamcast because of NFL2K).

I know there will be problems with Madden and NCAA this season, like always, but hopefully no gamekillers.

Edit 1: Honestly, this is making me wonder how I'm going to have time for Madden 2012.

Edit 2: I hope they allow us to have playoffs. That would send my expectations into outer space... :D

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm already dreaming up realignments. :) It's like Conference Armageddon all over!


Me too. I was planning on skipping this year, but this has me hooked..

[Eaglesfan27]

I skipped two out of the last three Maddens, but haven't skipped any of the NCAA Footballs. NCAA 2010's OD was horribly screwed, but last season's worked well enough.

Basically, football games have always been my most important video games. They've driven console purchases at times (I bought the POS Dreamcast because of NFL2K).

I know there will be problems with Madden and NCAA this season, like always, but hopefully no gamekillers.

Edit 1: Honestly, this is making me wonder how I'm going to have time for Madden 2012.

Edit 2: I hope they allow us to have playoffs. That would send my expectations into outer space... :D

You just described me as well. I've skipped the last 2 Maddens and at least broke that cycle, but I just can't pass up NCAA. That being said, I was planning on skipping NCAA and getting just Madden this year. Not sure if I have time for both this year with work and everything else going on... hmm.

[BYU 14]

Damn total freedom to realign conferences and the ability to start as a coordinator.....Hooked again!

[General Mike]

http://ps3media.ign.com/ps3/image/article/116/1169273/ncaa-football-12-20110519094410883_640w.jpg

Yeah, Baby!

Does this mean I can change the names of the Big Ten divisions to Humanoids and Animals?

[Kodos]

Yes. Yes you can.

[General Mike]

I got my 1987 allignment all set.

ACC (8)
Clemson
Duke
Georgia Tech
Maryland
North Carolina
North Carolina State
Virginia
Wake Forest

Big Ten (10)
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Ohio State
Purdue

Big 12 ---> Big Eight (8)
Colorado
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State

MWC ---> Southwest (9)
Arkansas
Baylor
Houston
Rice
Southern Methodist
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
Texas Christian

MAC (9)
Ball State
Bowling Green
Central Michigan
Eastern Michigan
Kent State
Miami (OH)
Ohio
Toledo
Western Michigan

Pac12 ---> Pac Ten (10)
Arizona
Arizona State
California
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
UCLA
USC
Washington
Washington State

SEC (10)
Alabama
Auburn
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
Louisiana State
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Tennessee
Vanderbilt

WAC (9)
Air Force
BYU
Colorado State
Hawaii
New Mexico
San Diego State
Utah
UTEP
Wyoming

Conference USA ---> Big West (5/9)
Fresno State
New Mexico State
San Jose State
Utah State
UNLV

Sun Belt ----> Lost Dogs(12/8)
Boise
Idaho
La Tech
Nevada
=======
Arkansas State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
Louisiana-Monroe
Middle Tennessee State
North Texas
Troy
Western Kentucky

Note: I may move the first 4 schools to the Big west

Big East ----> Lost Dogs 2 (6)
Buffalo
Connecticut
Marshall
UAB
UCF
USF

Independents (24)
Akron
Army
Boston College
Cincinnati
East Carolina
Florida State
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisville
Memphis
Miami
Navy
Northern Illinois
Notre Dame
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Rutgers
South Carolina
Southern Mississippi
Syracuse
Temple
Tulsa
Tulane
Virginia Tech
West Virginia

Hopefully we can edit conference prestige as well

[Danny]

Why was every single tackle I saw in the gameplay video a high one that was at least above the waist, if not chest level.

[RainMaker]

Any word on if FCS schools made it back into the game?

[Kodos]

No word on FCS schools yet, as far as I know.

[Kodos]

NCAA, Team, Ratings | Tradition Sports Online - Madden Online Franchise, NCAA Online Dynasty, FIFA Online Leagues, Forza Online Leagues, NBA 2K Online Leagues, NHL Online Leagues, Tiger Woods 2012 Online Tour (http://traditionsportsonline.com/ncaa-12-team-ratings-revealed)

Team ratings have been revealed. Let's all go laugh at their rating for Michigan's defense.

[Simbo Klice]

I don't think FCS schools are in, since they said with the small conferences you'll just get games against the old generic FCS teams to get up to at least 6 conference games.

Cool to see that list, I've been thinking that with the ability to realign conferences up year-by-year in a dynasty that I might do a Premier League style setup, but with the moving factor being prestige. Looking at that I'd have 22 independent 1-star teams, 31 2-star teams in 4 conferences, 32 3-star teams in 4 conferences, 14 4-star teams in 2 conferences, and single 11-team and 10-team 5 and 6 star conferences. I bet the 6-star conference would get small quick, but the revolving door concept would keep things fresh.

[BYU 14]

I have more hope for this release then any of the last 5 incarnations. Anybody else already working on custom conference alignments?

[Noop]

All this sounds so good so I have went from pass to wait and see.

[General Mike]

I have more hope for this release then any of the last 5 incarnations. Anybody else already working on custom conference alignments?
Yeah. I've got a modified 1987 type alignment.

[Groundhog]

Any word on whether 95% of teams are going to be a D- rated roster or worse after 5 seasons still? I'm betting it will swing back the other way.

[Balldog]

Any word on whether 95% of teams are going to be a D- rated roster or worse after 5 seasons still? I'm betting it will swing back the other way.

Supposedly the players will always be in line with the default roster, I'll believe when I see it :)

[Kodos]

I have more hope for this release then any of the last 5 incarnations. Anybody else already working on custom conference alignments?

I've been monkeying with them since custom conferences was announced. :cool:

[Kodos]

Here is my attempt for a relegation league setup that might be fun in an OD:

For the first season, teams are broken out into conferences based on their in-game ranking (Tradition Sports Online (http://traditionsportsonline.com/nca...tings-revealed)). By having the top 24 teams in 2 conferences, you guarantee that the Boise States of the world don't enjoy a cupcake schedule while they waltz on their way to an undefeated season. Also, the high strength of schedule for Level 1 teams will give them an advantage over lower-level teams in the polls. A Level 2 team may run up a good record, but their S.O.S. will probably keep them from being a legitimate BCS threat.

After each season, the conference champion for Level 2 will move up. I designed it so that the top two levels feature 12 team conferences so that there will be a conference championship game which determines who gets to move up. Twelve team conferences also allow for the most inter-division play relative to 14 or 16 team conferences.

Level 3 is made of of nine-team conferences so that all teams play an 8-game round-robin schedule. The team that finishes atop each Level 3 conference moves up to Level 2 the next season, while the lowest finisher in each Level 2 conference moves down to Level 3.

The top 4 finishers in Level 4 move up to Level 3. Each last-place finisher in Level 3 slides down to Level 4.

The independent military schools will always remain independent in this setup.

This setup is probably more fun if all human teams start with low-rated or cupcake level teambuilder squads in Level 4, so that players have to work their way up the ladder in order to get a shot at the championship.

Anyhow, that's my idea for a relegation league. I'll probably go with a more traditional realigned setup for my own offline dynasty.

[Logan]

I'm not really sure what to say...

[Kodos]

You like all the squiggly lines? :)

[Radii]

wow...

[Comey]

I'm working on an action proposal for one of my grad classes. I took a break and opened this thread. The first post I saw was that Ladder.

I'm now going back to my project. It's much easier on the eyes.

[DaddyTorgo]

Geez Kodos.

[Kodos]

I'm starting to think The Ladder may not be the next big thing in college football...

It basically boils down to this: you win your conference title game, you move up. You finish last, you move down a level. I figured it might be a nice challenge concentrating the top teams in a couple of conferences, but perhaps not. :)

[DaddyTorgo]

No - it actually looks really awesomely cool. Could something that complicated be worked into the game though? Or would you have to track it all and do the movements in the offseason??

[Kodos]

Yes. You can move any team to any division each offseason. It would take some tracking outside of the game in a spreadsheet or something, but it'd be doable for a hard-working commissioner.

[BYU 14]

Impressive Kodos, makes my realignment of 8 12 team conferences and 3 8 team conferences look feeble :(

[bighouserulez]

I plan on getting it and Kodos that is a great idea.

It reminds me of the Champions league type of set up.

[BYU 14]

Here is what I will be going with out of the box for new alignments

[Kodos]

Here is where I am with my realignments. I dumped a bunch of teams that meant nothing to me and will put in the Ivy League as the MAC(ademics) Conference. This isn't final, but is the best alignment I've come up with so far. I favor 12-team leagues for the top conferences because you get a championship game while still playing every team in the other division every other year. For smaller conferences, I like 9 teams, because that gives you a round-robin format. I also wanted to make sure that BYU and Boise State have to play tougher schedules.

[Eaglesfan27]

Love your ideas Kodos. I hope I can figure out my router issues to participate in your next OD ;)

[Kodos]

Love your ideas Kodos. I hope I can figure out my router issues to participate in your next OD ;)

Get crackin'!

[Eaglesfan27]

Get crackin'!


Got an idea. Going to try putting my address for my 360 in my DMZ and see if it works. Anyway, your dynasty idea is awesome :)

[gstelmack]

Got an idea. Going to try putting my address for my 360 in my DMZ and see if it works. Anyway, your dynasty idea is awesome :)

What router? My old Netgear just worked, this new Ubee hunk-o-junk that Time Warner hands out as their modem / router combo has been a pain. I finally found that a combination of setting up port triggering per the Microsoft instructions and turning off the "WAN blocking" feature in the router is giving us reliable open NATs for Xbox Live.

The DMZ trick is supposed to work as well, but did not work well for me.

[Eaglesfan27]

What router? My old Netgear just worked, this new Ubee hunk-o-junk that Time Warner hands out as their modem / router combo has been a pain. I finally found that a combination of setting up port triggering per the Microsoft instructions and turning off the "WAN blocking" feature in the router is giving us reliable open NATs for Xbox Live.

The DMZ trick is supposed to work as well, but did not work well for me.


It is a Cisco (Linksys) E4200 router. I also got a new Arris WBM760 Cable Modem from Comcast in the last few months. Ever since I got the combo, I can't play anyone head to head in our NCAA 2011 Online Dynasty. I tried opening a bunch of ports without luck. I did not try turning off WAN blocking (not even sure if my router has it.)

[gstelmack]

It is a Cisco (Linksys) E4200 router. I also got a new Arris WBM760 Cable Modem from Comcast in the last few months. Ever since I got the combo, I can't play anyone head to head in our NCAA 2011 Online Dynasty. I tried opening a bunch of ports without luck. I did not try turning off WAN blocking (not even sure if my router has it.)

Weird. Everything worked fine with this router BEFORE the cablemodem upgrade? Not sure how the cablemodem would screw it up in that case. Or did you get them both around the same time and that caused the issue?

Besides opening ports, you can also try:

- Enable UPnP in the router.
- Use port triggering instead of forwarding on the Xbox Live ports.

[Eaglesfan27]

I upgraded both at the same time. I have upnp enabled. I will see if port triggering works. Thanks for your help.

[General Mike]

Here is where I am with my realignments. I dumped a bunch of teams that meant nothing to me and will put in the Ivy League as the MAC(ademics) Conference. This isn't final, but is the best alignment I've come up with so far. I favor 12-team leagues for the top conferences because you get a championship game while still playing every team in the other division every other year. For smaller conferences, I like 9 teams, because that gives you a round-robin format. I also wanted to make sure that BYU and Boise State have to play tougher schedules.

You could have just dumped Duke and Indiana/ Vandy/ Baylor/ whoever ;) from the current BCS auto qualifier leagues and then put Boise in the Pac 12, Utah and BYU in the Big 12, and then shuffled the chairs amongst the Big Ten, Big East, ACC.

[Kodos]

I have thought of putting Duke in with the Ivy League to get them to 9 teams.

[General Mike]

Here's another alignment I came up with, but I'm not really a big fan of it.

North East
Boston College
UConn
Syracuse
Rutgers
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Temple
Maryland
West Virginia
Marshall

Mid Atlantic
Virginia
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
NC State
Wake Forest
Duke
East Carolina
South Carolina
Clemson
Tennessee

Southeast
Alabama
Auburn
Troy
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Miami
Florida
Florida State
South Florida
Central Florida

Deep South
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Southern Miss
Vanderbilt
Memphis
Kentucky
Louisville
Louisiana State
Tulane
Louisiana Tech

Big Texas
Arkansas
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech
TCU
Baylor
Houston
Rice
SMU
UTEP

Midwest
Michigan
Michigan State
Central Michigan
Western Michigan
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Ohio
Toledo
Akron
Bowling Green

Southwest
Hawaii
Southern Cal
UCLA
San Diego State
Fresno State
Arizona
Arizona State
New Mexico
Nevada
UNLV

Northwest
California
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon State
Washington
Washington State
Boise State
Utah
BYU
Wyoming

MountainPlains
Colorado
Colorado State
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Tulsa
Kansas
Kansas State
Iowa
Iowa State

Midwest 2
Minnesota
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Illinois
Missouri
Northern Illinois
Purdue
Indiana
Ball State
Miami (OH)

Sun Belt
Idaho
New Mexico State
Utah State
San Jose State
Florida Atlantic
Florida International
UAB
UL-Monroe
UL-Lafayette
Buffalo
Western Kentucky
North Texas
Middle Tennessee
Arkansas State
Kent State
Eastern Michigan

Independents
Notre Dame
Air Force
Army
Navy

I think it's too unbalanced in a lot of ways, but it's just a geographic breakdown for the most part.

[Simbo Klice]

Here is what I came up with for the prestige tiers.

6* (SEC): Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State, Auburn, Florida, Texas, Penn State, USC

5* (Big 12): Boise State, FSU, Wisconsin, TCU, Nebraska, VT, Notre Dame, Georgia, Michigan, Miami, Iowa

4* East (Big 10): South Carolina, Michigan State, WVU, Clemson, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, UNC

4* West (Pac 12): Stanford, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Arkansas, Missouri, Utah, BYU

3* North (Big East): Northwestern, Pitt, UConn, Navy, Illinois, Louisville, Syracuse, Boston College, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Purdue

3* South (ACC): Mississippi State, NC State, UCF, Maryland, Houston, ECU, Virginia, Kentucky, Ole Miss, USF, SMU

3* West (Mountain West): Arizona State, Tulsa, Air Force, Oregon State, Texas Tech, Washington, Nevada, Kansas State, Cal, Arizona State

2* North (MAC): Northern Illinois, Miami(Ohio), Ohio, Iowa State, Minnesota, Indiana, Central Michigan, Toledo

2* South (Sun Belt): Baylor, Troy, Kansas, Southern Miss., Louisiana Tech, UTEP, Rice

2* West (WAC): Hawaii, San Diego State, Fresno State, UCLA, Wyoming, Colorado State, UNLV, Colorado

2* East (Conference USA): Temple, Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Marshall, Duke Buffalo, Bowling Green

1* (Independents): Army, Western Michigan, Tulane, FIU, Idaho, Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, Kent State, Utah State, UL Monroe, UL Lafayette, Florida Atlantic, Memphis, North Texas, San Jose State, UAB, New Mexico, NM State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Akron.

[Ksyrup]

So I see conference alignment is going to be the 2011 gimmick EA uses to deflect talk of gameplay until it's too late.

[RainMaker]

Here is my attempt for a relegation league setup that might be fun in an OD:

For the first season, teams are broken out into conferences based on their in-game ranking (Tradition Sports Online (http://traditionsportsonline.com/nca...tings-revealed)). By having the top 24 teams in 2 conferences, you guarantee that the Boise States of the world don't enjoy a cupcake schedule while they waltz on their way to an undefeated season. Also, the high strength of schedule for Level 1 teams will give them an advantage over lower-level teams in the polls. A Level 2 team may run up a good record, but their S.O.S. will probably keep them from being a legitimate BCS threat.

After each season, the conference champion for Level 2 will move up. I designed it so that the top two levels feature 12 team conferences so that there will be a conference championship game which determines who gets to move up. Twelve team conferences also allow for the most inter-division play relative to 14 or 16 team conferences.

Level 3 is made of of nine-team conferences so that all teams play an 8-game round-robin schedule. The team that finishes atop each Level 3 conference moves up to Level 2 the next season, while the lowest finisher in each Level 2 conference moves down to Level 3.

The top 4 finishers in Level 4 move up to Level 3. Each last-place finisher in Level 3 slides down to Level 4.

The independent military schools will always remain independent in this setup.

This setup is probably more fun if all human teams start with low-rated or cupcake level teambuilder squads in Level 3, so that players have to work their way up the ladder in order to get a shot at the championship.

Anyhow, that's my idea for a relegation league. I'll probably go with a more traditional realigned setup for my own offline dynasty.

That's a really cool system. College football should actually put a system like this into place.

[ColtCrazy]

If you can realign every off-season, I would do this as well. Would be a lot of fun to do and set up some great competition. I'll have to play around with system too.

[Pumpy Tudors]

you guys know it is going to come with a conference realignment so you dont have to place all the teams yourself rite

[Pumpy Tudors]

And if anyone takes my last comment seriously here, I'm just going to laugh.

[Ksyrup]

Has anyone heard anything about the coaching change feature? Is it going to be more than just a name change? I am extremely skeptical that they will implement this correctly, with a coach attached to a particular offensive and/or defensive scheme being replaced by another coach with his own schemes, and then the AI implementing the new scheme correctly with the playbook (A new playbook every time a coaching change occurs? You KNOW that ain't happenin'!) and recruiting (The AI knowing when to recruit an option QB versus a spread versus a pro style? Let alone not recruiting 13 RBs? Riiiiiight!). Really, all of that needs to be interwoven for this to mean anything, otherwise it's just replacing Joe Smith with Frank Jones.

[bhlloy]

Has anyone heard anything about the coaching change feature? Is it going to be more than just a name change? I am extremely skeptical that they will implement this correctly, with a coach attached to a particular offensive and/or defensive scheme being replaced by another coach with his own schemes, and then the AI implementing the new scheme correctly with the playbook (A new playbook every time a coaching change occurs? You KNOW that ain't happenin'!) and recruiting (The AI knowing when to recruit an option QB versus a spread versus a pro style? Let alone not recruiting 13 RBs? Riiiiiight!). Really, all of that needs to be interwoven for this to mean anything, otherwise it's just replacing Joe Smith with Frank Jones.

I'm very cautiously hopeful this is a key thing, if coaches do have schemes/styles and they implement and recruit them properly. The most ridiculous thing last year was seeing Oregon trying to run the spread option with a guy who had a 55 for speed. Chances of them actually implementing it and implementing it correctly... probably not much. But this is very close to the top of my list of things that would need to get fixed for me to buy again...

[Voo]

Has anyone heard anything about the coaching change feature? Is it going to be more than just a name change? I am extremely skeptical that they will implement this correctly, with a coach attached to a particular offensive and/or defensive scheme being replaced by another coach with his own schemes, and then the AI implementing the new scheme correctly with the playbook (A new playbook every time a coaching change occurs? You KNOW that ain't happenin'!) and recruiting (The AI knowing when to recruit an option QB versus a spread versus a pro style? Let alone not recruiting 13 RBs? Riiiiiight!). Really, all of that needs to be interwoven for this to mean anything, otherwise it's just replacing Joe Smith with Frank Jones.

I think I remember seeing that coaches bring in their own offenses with them when they move, but I was unable to find where I read that so it could just be wishful thinking. I did however find the link to where they said recruiting would be done based on play style. CPU Recruiting Based on Play Style (http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football/blog/dynasty-tuning)

We have heard feedback regarding CPU not recruiting based on their play style, so this was one of our earliest adjustments for NCAA Football 12. Previously, if you were running an option offense, the CPU would simply take the best quarterback that was available, or possibly one just interested in the school. Now, you will find that the CPU will focus upon players that fit their particular play style. That means scrambling QBs will be targeted by option teams, while air raid teams will look for pocket passing quarterbacks.

Another community concern that we addressed for NCAA Football 12 is the balancing of the top 150 recruits. There was some discussion that there were not enough highly rated defensive prospects appearing in the ESPNU Top 150. Based on that feedback we have increased each defensive position's chance of having a prospect worthy enough of being considered one of the top 150 prospects in the recruiting class.

[Ksyrup]

Wow, that's cool. I guess if they fix the recruiting, that would resolve the coaching/scheme issue. I guess the biggest question mark is whether they would make that huge of a change to the game - removing school-specific schemes and allowing them to change over time based on the coach? That would seem to be a huhge change in philosophy, right?

I'm still skeptical that they would/could implement all of this (correctly) in one version of the game, but I'm a bit more hopeful about it than before.

[bhlloy]

I think I remember seeing that coaches bring in their own offenses with them when they move, but I was unable to find where I read that so it could just be wishful thinking. I did however find the link to where they said recruiting would be done based on play style. CPU Recruiting Based on Play Style (http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football/blog/dynasty-tuning)

Now just tell me that they recognized that the lack of kickers/punters in the recruiting class was a major problem 2/3 years down the line, and that teams will actually recruit them before they might need them and not just settle for a 40 rated walkon every year who can't even hit 50% of his XP, and it's sounding pretty good

[BYU 14]

Demo out now, anybody downloaded it yet and had a chance to play?

[Voo]

Demo out now, anybody downloaded it yet and had a chance to play?

I just downloaded it a bit ago. It lets you play Oregon @ Texas, or Alabama @ FSU.

I uploaded the opening to Oregon @ Texas, and a couple minor highlights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbTqmNV5di0

If anyone wants to see something specific let me know and I will try to get it up for you.

[Kodos]

NCAA Football 12 Demo Impressions (360) PS3 Demo Available Later This Afternoon - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ncaa-football/490564-ncaa-football-12-demo-impressions-360-ps3-demo-available-later-afternoon.html)

It's getting quite mixed reviews.

[MizzouRah]

Thanks, downloading now.

[RainMaker]

Any of the blogs have reviews of it up yet? Can't really trust impressions on OS.

[BYU 14]

Seems the biggest issues from the OS thread are the psychic DB's in Man coverage, which they indicated they had tweaked and QB's making bad decisions on option plays from the spread, also an issue last year.

Other than that, which they will hopefully address before release, it seems the impressions are quite favorable.

[Ksyrup]

Just watched a full game someone put up in the OS impressions thread. PA pass seems to work now, but the CPU spread option run is a complete bust. The game backed up comments throughout that thread that say the same thing.

[BYU 14]

Just played 3 games with the Demo as Oregon vs Texas. Lost 14-0 and then won 3-0 and 14-7 in OT.

Like
The running game is greatly improved and very realistic, no suction, able to run through arm tackles and the linemen actually work levels, outstanding job.

Pass rush is also improved in that you can get off of blocks instead of being sucked in. Also the CPU QBs will move around in the pocket to buy time.

Intros are cool

Pass coverage is improved and you actually have to read coverages and throw the ball on time. ALso the QB accuracy on default is pretty realistic as well.

New collision based tackling makes playing defense a lot more fun.

No more linebackers with 63 inch verticals picking off passes.

Don't Like
Despite the improvements in pass coverage, still saw the DB jump the route before the receiver even broke a couple of times and this is extremely annoying. I threw 3 picks in the first game (none in the last 2) and one of them was directly related to the 'psychic' DB. One was a poor read by me and one was a sweet play by the defender, though again he seemed to do a really good job reading the route, so it was a possible psychic DB issue. I am sure sliders will be able to even this out, so I don't think it will be a big deal once the game is released.

The option game out of the spread is really poor, this is the biggest issue I found and I hope they do something to tweak this before release. The AI does a poor job on offense and the defense was always in perfect position to take away the QB and pitchman, as well as the dive on triple option. It just isn't that easy to do every time.

Overall
The on field play is noticeably better and with the custom conferences, coaching carousel and ability to make custom playbooks this has gone from a wait and see to a first day purchase. I think they may have finally gotten it right or at least come damn close.

[johnnyshaka]

I played a game the other night and you know what pissed me off to no end? Why in the hell did they change the playcalling screen to scroll through plays up/down after doing it side to side last year?

[MizzouRah]

I played a game the other night and you know what pissed me off to no end? Why in the hell did they change the playcalling screen to scroll through plays up/down after doing it side to side last year?

I thought I was the only one that was pissed about this?

[BillJasper]

So I played a game as Alabama vs. Florida, on All-American. I noticed a ton of players sliding off the ball carrier when attempting to make tackles. Was able to throw two late hail mary passes late to beat them 19-14. It seems if your QB has the time the receivers will get behind the DB's.

[BYU 14]

I thought I was the only one that was pissed about this?

Come to think of it this annoyed me as well..

[Eaglesfan27]

I really enjoyed the gameplay in the demo. With custom playbpoks and custom conferences I am looking at a day 1 purchase.

[Eaglesfan27]

Come to think of it this annoyed me as well..

Annoys me too. It was done to match madden from last year, but I didn't play that game and it will take a bit for me to adjust.

[Caine]

Kudos:

I love your realignment system, and I always thought football here should have relegation to spice things up.

A question, though: How would bowl games work in your system? If, say, a non-conference winner plays and beats a higher relegated conference champion in a bowl game, would that have any effect on who is promoted and who isn't? Or would bowl games have no real effect on who moves up and down?

[Kodos]

Bowl game results would have no effect in my system.

[dubb93]

I love that players no longer get sucked into blocks and tackled. I hate that in my experience the long ball is money. I have other small complaints, but holy crap can I beat them on the streak.

[Eaglesfan27]

I love that players no longer get sucked into blocks and tackled. I hate that in my experience the long ball is money. I have other small complaints, but holy crap can I beat them on the streak.

Maybe I am just not used to the demo, but I am having more trouble throwing the long ball than in 11.

[BillJasper]

I love that players no longer get sucked into blocks and tackled. I hate that in my experience the long ball is money. I have other small complaints, but holy crap can I beat them on the streak.

Exactly my experience. Reminds me of NCAA '99 in that regard.

[BYU 14]

I hit one nice long ball, but on another I underthrew the receiver and the CPU made a great play to get a pick, most others are incomplete. I will have to attempt to go deep more to get a good sample. I do know it doesn't appear to be that easy in long yardage situations, so I will mix in some first down and 2nd and short deep balls.

I know one thing for sure, the crossing routes I love so much have to be a lot more precise with the improvements to zone coverage. I had a couple that were always money and I have found the windows are a lot tighter to fit the balls into now, which is a good thing.

[BYU 14]

Tweaked my conference alignments, moved Notre Dame to the Big 12 (Big Ten) and dumped the MWC for the Mid South. Conferences with asterisks are the AQ conferences. (No more Big East) :)

[Caine]

Based on Kudos' Ladder System Alignment and the team ratings in the new NCAA game, here would be the initial "conferences":

TIER ONE - LEAGUE A
Oklahoma
LSU
Oregon
Boise State
Texas A&M
Auburn
South Carolina
Nebraska
Virginia Tech
Florida
Notre Dame
NC State


TIER ONE - LEAGUE B
Stanford
Alabama
Oklahoma State
Florida State
Michigan State
TCU
Mississippi State
Arkansas
Missouri
Texas

[Caine]

TIER TWO - League A

Georgia
Tulsa
Georgia Tech
North Carolina
Illinois
SMU
Utah
Maryland
Texas Tech
Virginia
San Diego State
Rutgers

TIER TWO - League B

West Virginia
Michigan
Baylor
Nevada
Ole Miss
Boston College
UCF
Northern Illinois
UConn
ECU
BYU
Miami of Ohio


TIER TWO - LEAGUE C

Arizona State
Miami
Tennessee
Kansas State
Kentucky
Fresno State
USC
Iowa
Pittsburgh
Cal
Syracuse
Troy


TIER TWO - League D

Penn State
Northwestern
Oregon State
Houston
USF
Cincinnati
Clemson
Hawaii
Washington
Arizona
Louisville
Ohio

[Caine]

TIER THREE - LEAGUE A

Purdue
Colorado St
Central Michigan
Bowling Green
Buffalo
Indiana
Western Michigan
Louisiana Tech
UL Monroe


TIER THREE - LEAGUE B

Iowa State
Wake Forest
Washington State
Middle Tennessee State
Florida Atlantic
UCLA
UNLV
Toledo
Kent State


TIER THREE - LEAGUE C

Kansas
Vanderbilt
Duke
Arkansas St
UL Lafayette
Temple
Colorado
FIU
Ball State


TIER THREE - LEAGUE D

Minnesota
Southern Miss
Idaho
UTEP
Rice
Wyoming
Marshall
Tulane
Utah St


TIER FOUR LEAGUE

Memphia
North Texas
San Jose St
UAB
New Mexico
New Mexico St
Western Kentucky
Eastern Kentucky
Akron

As per Kudos' system, the three military academies are independent.

[Eaglesfan27]

There is a long thread over at Operation Sports that a day 1 patch will bring a "big feature" that will have a huge affect on gameplay. One of the mods there who claims to "know" says it will be in dynasty editing of players. While it would be nice for every team to have appropriate players at each position, it will allow those of us who want to do so to fix player ratings problems in dynasty mode.

[Kodos]

Amazon is including a $20 credit with NCAA preorders now. Pretty sweet deal. I preordered with them quite some time ago, but figured others would like in on the deal if they are planning to get NCAA 2012.

[DaddyTorgo]

Amazon is including a $20 credit with NCAA preorders now. Pretty sweet deal. I preordered with them quite some time ago, but figured others would like in on the deal if they are planning to get NCAA 2012.

That does make it a much better deal...thanks for pointing this out.

[whomario]

There is a long thread over at Operation Sports that a day 1 patch will bring a "big feature" that will have a huge affect on gameplay. One of the mods there who claims to "know" says it will be in dynasty editing of players. While it would be nice for every team to have appropriate players at each position, it will allow those of us who want to do so to fix player ratings problems in dynasty mode.

Would definitely be nice, but it also basically is a confirmation they screwed player ratings up again in some way and discovered it too late to really fix it. No way they put this in if they don´t fear some major backlash in the ratings/player creation area of the game.
Remember, this is the company that up until a year ago wouldn´t allow ratings to be edited freely in FIFA.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, that smacks of, "Well fuck, why should we do all the work to get it right? Just let them fix our problem for us so they can't bitch to us about it anymore."

[Mike Lowe]

There is a long thread over at Operation Sports that a day 1 patch will bring a "big feature" that will have a huge affect on gameplay. One of the mods there who claims to "know" says it will be in dynasty editing of players. While it would be nice for every team to have appropriate players at each position, it will allow those of us who want to do so to fix player ratings problems in dynasty mode.

Precisely what we all wanted...to be able to spend 60 hours editing EA's dropped ball (again).

That would be like your boss telling you that your job just got a new feature in which a portion of your salary "automatically" goes back to him.

But it's a big, new feature!

[Eaglesfan27]

The official blog is up and the release date "update" will allow in dynasty roster editing. It also has a long list of fixes:

Launch Day Update (http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football/blog/launch-day-update)

[BYU 14]

The official blog is up and the release date "update" will allow in dynasty roster editing. It also has a long list of fixes:

Launch Day Update (http://www.ea.com/ncaa-football/blog/launch-day-update)

Besides the improved game play, I am really liking the fact that they seem to be a lot more pro-active in their desire to deliver a polished product this year, when at times in the past it seemed they were not as in tune with their customers.

[MizzouRah]

Amazon is including a $20 credit with NCAA preorders now. Pretty sweet deal. I preordered with them quite some time ago, but figured others would like in on the deal if they are planning to get NCAA 2012.

Yeah, that and a little nudge from this article had me purchase today from Amazon. :)

NCAA Football 12 Ruined Madden 12 for Me - PS3 Feature at IGN (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/118/1181223p1.html)

Think I'll put that $20 towards NHL 12 :devil:

[Izulde]

The $20 Amazon credit convinced me to pull the trigger on this.

[DaddyTorgo]

Yeah - I have it open in another browser window...think it's convinced me

[Kodos]

Early impressions over at OS seem very positive overall. Can't wait to get my copy tomorrow.

[DaddyTorgo]

Pulled the trigger last night and opted for release-day shipping from Amazon with the $20 amazon credit (which I'll use for FIFA 12). Won't be broken-hearted if I don't get it tomorrow though, as I'll have A Dance with Dragons to read also!!

Booya!!!

[MizzouRah]

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/118/1181529p1.html (http://ps3.ign.com/articles/118/1181529p1.html)<!-- m -->

Pretty fair review.. glad I ordered it.

[Logan]

Ordered it cause of the Amazon credit. Had some leftover gift cards in the account too so it came out to about $42 (stupid NY tax). I really don't play much these days but it will be worth it once football season rolls around.

It would be nice if that Amazon credit could go towards Kindle purchases, but whatever...

[Dr. Sak]

Ordered it cause of the Amazon credit. Had some leftover gift cards in the account too so it came out to about $42 (stupid NY tax). I really don't play much these days but it will be worth it once football season rolls around.

It would be nice if that Amazon credit could go towards Kindle purchases, but whatever...

I did the same thing and will use the credit towards NHL 12

[Ksyrup]

Does anyone know if they messed with recruiting at all? Because I thought recruiting was done really well in last year's version - still somewhat time-consuming, especially at the beginning of the year, but not nearly the tedius drag it's been in the past. I really enjoyed it. Does anyone know if they made any substantial changes to it?

[Sweed]

Does anyone know if they messed with recruiting at all? Because I thought recruiting was done really well in last year's version - still somewhat time-consuming, especially at the beginning of the year, but not nearly the tedius drag it's been in the past. I really enjoyed it. Does anyone know if they made any substantial changes to it?

Also interested in knowing this.

I'm actually happy enough with last years game that I will continue to play it. I will try to get v12 through goozex and give it a go. Not sure how that is going to work as they've instituted some new "feature" where some traders are allowed to add new games to their want list before it is released, in effect, jumping to the front of the line. If this new "feature" puts me so far back I have no chance of getting the game for months than I'll just use my last two goozex tokens and delete my account. It's their site and they can do what they want but I don't see the point of closing out a user that has the points to make a trade because they don't live there. FWIW, I haven't dumped ten 100 point games to get the 1,000 points I need. I have traded good high demand games and feel a bit cheated if this works the way I think it is going to.

[Logan]

I did the same thing and will use the credit towards NHL 12

Might do the same. Hopefully the tendency to give 31 year old centers concussions is low in this version.

[k0ruptr]

I'm heading to walmart @ midnight because I cant wait any longer for this game

[ColtCrazy]

Well, damn. I had to change the payment on my preorder this morning because it was coming out of the wrong account originally. I still got the preorder deal, but the shipping got messed up. Now not getting the game until Friday. Oh well.

Would love to hear if you can realign the conferences after each season. Definitely going to try Kudo's idea of a Premiership style system.

[cartman]

Amazon is including a $20 credit with NCAA preorders now. Pretty sweet deal. I preordered with them quite some time ago, but figured others would like in on the deal if they are planning to get NCAA 2012.

It looks like they extended the $20 credit to anyone who preordered. I also put mine in a while back, but I just got a message informing me of the $20 credit.

[Kodos]

Yeah, they always give you the lower price if it goes down after you preorder. Or if there are any deals added to it. That way they don't give people a reason not to preorder.

[DataKing]

Newegg has NCAA Football 2012 for $49.99 ($10 off) with Promo Codes as follows:

Xbox360: EMCKCJH69
PS3: EMCKCJH72

[johnnyshaka]

I watched the EA ustream yesterday and enjoyed some of the live gameplay and such. They were giving away various copies of the game along with a few other things and it turns out that I won an "Autographed Football from NCAA Football 12's U WANT ME Campaign"...woohoo!! I'm assuming the ball is signed by all the cover candidates (not really sure, though) but either way I've got a new football to hold (and throw NEAR the TV...LOL) for the upcoming NCAA season!!

[BYU 14]

Anyone pre-order through Best Buy, I just got an email with a promo code to download extra content. Just curious if anybody knows what it is.....Not that I can't wait, but I can't :)

[EagleFan]

Just curious if anybody knows what it is.....

beer tent

[BYU 14]

beer tent

Can I pick the Beer? :)

[Izulde]

Are custom conferences limited by that stupid EA Pass system again? Because I'd love to play '12 while I'm here in Wisconsin, but if I can't do much with it on the PS3 I have here, I'll just wait a month until I'm back in Las Vegas.

[whomario]

Isn´t that Pass only relevant for online gaming ? :confused:

[Ksyrup]

Not a single person has played this yet and wants to offer an opinion or thoughts?

[Izulde]

Isn´t that Pass only relevant for online gaming ? :confused:

Maybe. I swear it was for customizing stuff too, like downloading rosters and the like.

[Comey]

Not a single person has played this yet and wants to offer an opinion or thoughts?

I take it as a sign the community, as a whole, has gotten older.

[gstelmack]

I take it as a sign the community, as a whole, has gotten older.

I take it as a sign that the community has tired of the gameplay not really improving much.

[Sun Tzu]

I don't know about you guys, but I'm absolutely stoked about dreadlocks.

omg

[johnnyshaka]

I'll likely pick this up, but just not for a week or two.

[Kodos]

I sent the wife and kids out tonight, and will be curling up with NCAA 2012 as soon as I get home. :)

[Mike Lowe]

This game's release date is not official for me until the rosters are done for PS3. I'm not even tempted until then and it gives me time to see what EA fucked up.

[MizzouRah]

Mine is coming via free super saver shipping, which means next week. I wouldn't play anyway until the named rosters are completed.

I have been reading good things though.

[Pumpy Tudors]

I can't name a single Division I football player, so I feel rather indifferent about the rosters. I'll be ready to play tonight!

[MacroGuru]

I want it...just need to get it...when I do, Dynasty will be on it's way.

[BYU 14]

Going to pick it up now, the impressions on operation sports have been better than any edition in memory so I am pretty stoked to fire it up.

Will be testing sliders and overall gamplay until the named roster are released, so will post some thoughts later.

[whomario]

i read that Road To Glory is again pretty much "you are rated 99 by year 2" if you use the advancements you earn, so i hope that your player also progresses in training camp so that way i could just not use them or just in a limited manner.

I very much look forward to that mode, had tons of fun last year and all improvements mentioned there are real nice.

Also hope that custom playbooks are easy to set up, looking for fitting playbooks took up tons of time last year for me in later years of dynasty ...

Will hopefully get it on thursday or friday , acording to the shop i ordered from it´s getting packaged tomorrow. Would be nice since i have Friday off, not much planned this weekend and a shitty weather forcast ;)

[Scoobz0202]

I could probably get excited about this game if I felt the RttS was worth a damn. I recall last year trying it after being off the NCAA boat for a few years and the time management, and just the timing in general, being absolutely horrendous and it ruined any sense of fun I could feel. Anybody know if that is fixed?

I'm talking, 1st and 10 with a minute left and no timeouts and somehow i'm punting the ball with 45 seconds left. (been awhile so I could be recalling something that didnt happen but the type of issue still remains)

[SirFozzie]

I'm waiting for the game to be delivered. UPS is late :P

[Kodos]

Played my first game. Enjoyed it a lot. But I need to work on not throwing so many picks.

[dubb93]

I have the game but I'm waiting until after the RFL National Championship game tonight to tear into it.

[Groundhog]

Has anyone simmed 6+ seasons in yet and checked out the roster talent?

[Ajaxab]

I just created my own promotion/relegation system that features a decent amount of movement. I divided the teams by the game's rankings and have 2 conferences of 16 teams each at the top. The worst 8 of 32 go down. The next tier has 4 conferences of 12 teams each. Conference winners and runners-up go to the top tier. The worst 2 from each second tier go down. The third tier has 4 conferences of 7 teams each. Conference winners and runners up go up. The worst in each conference goes down. The fourth tier has 1 conference with the remaining teams left. 4 go up to tier 3. The worst are replaced by independents. That part of the setup was pretty easy.

I was a bit disappointed that the editor wasn't a bit more robust (but I suppose it is EA after all). The only bowls you can edit are the BCS games and these games are limited to conference winners or at large teams. There's no assigning the 3rd place team in a conference to a BCS game. I would have loved to be able to do that to reward teams in tough conferences. I went ahead and created only one conference tie-in for the title game so that my top tier conference winners would play each other for the BCS title. I left the other spots for at-large teams. Unfortunately, that created a bit of a problem at the end of the first year. Duke won the 3rd tier WAC and received an at-large bid to play the 2nd tier Big 12 champ, Northwestern, in the Orange Bowl. Not ideal to be sure...but maybe it's good because it gives lower tier teams a shot at a BCS bowl.

I also learned that if you want to do promotion/relegation that you need to write down which teams will be swapped before going on to the next season. By the time you can customize conferences in season 2, the team records from the previous season are gone (unless I'm missing them somewhere).

I hope to sim 4 seasons to see what happens.

[MacroGuru]

RTG has given me a stiffy....I can't wait to write a dynasty for one...

[RainMaker]

I can't name a single Division I football player, so I feel rather indifferent about the rosters. I'll be ready to play tonight!
I'm the same but find the real names help me when it comes to football season. I remember playing as some of the names.

[DaddyTorgo]

Amazon borked my "release day delivery" so i can't be playing. S'ok - I have 900 or so pages to read to keep me company.

[Eaglesfan27]

I picked it up on the way home from work, but have too much work to dig into it tonight :(

Look forward to playing some this weekend.

[Kodos]

Just like in 11, I'm getting a bunch of brief freezes during gameplay. Frustrating.

[k0ruptr]

if on 360 the gamer tag : Patrick Morty has a pretty decent set of starter rosters and all coaches named.

[k0ruptr]

dola, and for PS3 try gamertag: GamingTailgate

[JonInMiddleGA]

I saw on his Twitter feed that pastapadre has named rosters available through his gamertag as well, not his work but one he apparently liked well enough to share ... strictly fwiw of course

[BYU 14]

After spending an hour plus on a custom playbook I played a game on default settings, AA, 8 min quarters with BYU against Utah State, won 31-0. The default settings are better than I think they have ever been with the exception of sacks and I recorded 12 against the Aggies. The CPU run game is also overmatched (though Utah State sucks overall they have a decent TB)

2nd game I tweaked the sliders and played Wyoming, AA, 8 min quarters and won 41-18.

Stats
Passing
BYU 15-30 324 yards 3 TD, 1 INT
Wyoming 26-51 326 yards 1 TD, 3 INT

Rushing
BYU 29-124 yards
Wyoming 24-20 yards

I sacked Wyomings QB 4 times, I was sacked 2 times, much better. Also the one pick I threw, which went for 6, was a shitty read. Wyomings picks where also reasonable (Punter threw one on a fake)

The one thing after this game that still did not feel right was the number of times the receivers dropped or had the ball jarred loose, so I tweaked those sliders and also dropped human run D. After 2 games I currently have sliders set as follows.

AA - 8 minute Quarters (This got me 138 plays in the Wyoming game)
Game speed - Normal
Speed Threshold - 30

Slider - Hum / CPU
QB acc - 45 / 50
Pass blk - 55 / 55
WR cat - 60 / 60
RB skill - 55 / 60
Run Blk - 55 / 60
Coverage - 40 / 40
Pass rush - 40 / 50
Int - 20 / 20
Run Def - 40 / 50
Tackling - 30 / 50
FG Pow - 40 / 50
FG acc - 40 / 50
Punt Pow - 45 / 50
Punt acc - 50 / 50
KP - 45 / 50

Will probably tweak some more, but these will likely be close to the final version I use based on limited play so far. Even in the Wyoming game, I never felt threatened as BYU is decidedly better, but they still had moments where they drove on me and even ripped off a couple of 10+ yard runs, though they lost yards a lot (hopefully lowering human Run D will help and I will also play a team with a better line next)

The new tackling is amazing, nearly every play felt different and while gang tackling still isn't all the way there, it is a lot better than last year and momentum definitely plays into it more than ever too. I scored one huge hit that put one of their receivers out with a concussion and also whiffed going for the big blow a couple of times, so I mostly stayed with the tackle button. Once you get the timing down on tackling it really boosts the overall enjoyment of the game. Running backs and receivers are very fluid and replays are beautiful. My biggest complaint ingame is the commentary feels stale after a half, so I find myself tuning it out.

One other gripe is the default rosters, does EA really check teams depth charts during/after spring practice? Wyoming still has Austyn Carta-Samuels on their roster and he transferred before spring ball. BYU has O'Neill Chambers on the roster and he was suspended in the middle of last season through the 2011 season as well. They also have several players I can't figure out who they represent on the real roster. I can see missing players like Pryor or others that left school/transferred in the last couple of months, but the default rosters should at least be accurate through spring ball, which is 4 months ago. Still I can edit all this so it is only a mild annoyance ATM while I wait for named rosters.

Overall very happy with this years release, the best yet IMO based on limited exposure, though I am curious to see how recruiting is in dynasty mode 5-6 seasons down the line. If recruits are more realistic this year I will be VERY happy and this edition will stay in rotation for a long time.

[Izulde]

Try playing UNLV and see if you can win by 50. :P

[Simbo Klice]

Big problem concerning conference swaps mid-dynasty... I just ran into a 255 team swap limit and the conferences are now stuck as they are. :banghead: Fuck you, EA Sports.

[whomario]

i read that you can´t adjust quarter length in Road To Glory ? Seriously ? :confused:
Or can you only adjust it at the start and then have to live with it ? (that´d be ok)

And super sim broken again ? Plays are aparenbtly again run in 10 seconds every damn time (even when up 20 with a minute left) which then will screw up the simulated stats ...

[markprior22]

I got the email link yesterday for the .pdf strategy guide. Opened it at work just to glance at it and closed it. Today, I no longer have it. I guess it's possible I accidentally deleted the email. It surely doesn't only give you one chance to look at it and if you don't save, it's gone? Does anyone have the link they could send me in a PM so I could print it off?

[DaddyTorgo]

I got the email link yesterday for the .pdf strategy guide. Opened it at work just to glance at it and closed it. Today, I no longer have it. I guess it's possible I accidentally deleted the email. It surely doesn't only give you one chance to look at it and if you don't save, it's gone? Does anyone have the link they could send me in a PM so I could print it off?

I saved it on my laptop at home - I can send you the PDF version tonight.

[markprior22]

Thanks DT...appreciate it.

[Scoobz0202]

I could probably get excited about this game if I felt the RttS was worth a damn. I recall last year trying it after being off the NCAA boat for a few years and the time management, and just the timing in general, being absolutely horrendous and it ruined any sense of fun I could feel. Anybody know if that is fixed?

I'm talking, 1st and 10 with a minute left and no timeouts and somehow i'm punting the ball with 45 seconds left. (been awhile so I could be recalling something that didnt happen but the type of issue still remains)

i read that you can´t adjust quarter length in Road To Glory ? Seriously ? :confused:
Or can you only adjust it at the start and then have to live with it ? (that´d be ok)

And super sim broken again ? Plays are aparenbtly again run in 10 seconds every damn time (even when up 20 with a minute left) which then will screw up the simulated stats ...

Mother fucker. How the fuck do they not fix this. Seriously. Are we really picky and the majority of people don't notice this or what?

[Pumpy Tudors]

lol

[Ksyrup]

The $20 Amazon credit convinced me to pull the trigger on this.

I went ahead and did this on Monday, since the game is my annual birthday present from the kids. I paid for it and it shipped today - how do I get the $20 credit, or where will I find it on my account?

[Honolulu_Blue]

I went ahead and did this on Monday, since the game is my annual birthday present from the kids. I paid for it and it shipped today - how do I get the $20 credit, or where will I find it on my account?

It should just pop up/be factored in to your next purchase.

[Ksyrup]

It's not. I just put something into my cart to test it, and there's nothing.

[Honolulu_Blue]

It's not. I just put something into my cart to test it, and there's nothing.

Has your order shipped yet?

Note: "The promotional credit will be added directly to your Amazon.com account within two days after your order ships."

[Ksyrup]

Thanks. I don't have my order email on this computer so I was wondering what the fine print said.

[MizzouRah]

You will get an email after the credit hits your account.

[DeToxRox]

I am doing a coaching carousel dynasty on here if anyone is interested. I am trying to get a feel for how much of a challenge it is so I am starting out as a DC with a 1 star prestige team.

[korme]

Do coaches move around this year or are they ZIPS Coach or BUCKS Coach forever?

[BYU 14]

Do coaches move around this year or are they ZIPS Coach or BUCKS Coach forever?

They will move around this year

[MizzouRah]

They will move around this year

That's why I'm going to wait until FK 2nd roster update which will have real coach names.. should be neat to see coaches moving around.

[Mizzou B-ball fan]

Looks like the punting bug is back again as well. If you punt the ball out of bounds before entering the end zone, but it bounces past the plane of the goal line out of bounds, it counts it as a touchback rather than marking at the appropriate spot. Stuff like this that was reported constantly last year that isn't resolved just makes you want to smack your forehead.

[MizzouRah]

Can you change the color of the dreads?

[cartman]

In over 100 games in the previous version (2011), I never saw that punting bug.

[dubb93]

The interface in dynasty mode is a total lag fest. I can't believe how slow to respond it is.

[MizzouRah]

In over 100 games in the previous version (2011), I never saw that punting bug.

+1

[Philliesfan980]

The interface in dynasty mode is a total lag fest. I can't believe how slow to respond it is.

I've heard this as well, as well as some people are reporting the game is stuttering between plays for some individuals.

That's what concerns me, as developers push hardware further and further, they have to be getting close to what the current gen can do. Now granted, going through menu's slowly seems to be more of a bug than anything, it makes you wonder.

Can anyone confirm or deny? Would be nice to hear some more impressions from people here (OS is a complete mess with all the people posting there), as I trust peoples judgement here.

[MacroGuru]

I have played an entire High School season in RTG....several exhibition games and my son has played a ton of 1 button games.

1) I do not experience the lag that has been reported, but I do have a newer gen unit (7 months old).

2) RTG is freaking amazing, a full high school season...while schools come to you...I need to work with the sliders on it...by the end of my season I was at 4 stars and had Texas, Oregon and USC offering (Had a 79 sparq to start the season)

3) I haven't played with Dynasty mode, I did download a roster that looked pretty close to what everything is currently.

Oh and for the punting bug, never experienced it.

[Tigercat]

Decent amount of lag in menus and occasionally in non-action in game transitions. Its a bit frustrating, having played smoother previous versions, but I find it more than bearable.

(I've got a 60gb PS3)

[Big Fo]

I hadn't played one of these since NCAA 2009 maybe. I was surprised at how time consuming recruiting has become in Dynasty Mode. The on-field gameplay seems pretty good so far after three games.

[Eaglesfan27]

That's why I'm going to wait until FK 2nd roster update which will have real coach names.. should be neat to see coaches moving around.


There are supposedly several rosters out with coaches' names now including from PastaPadre and a few other users:

Patrick Morty - 360
gamingtailgate - PS3

I'm going to give them a try tonight as I can't wait until the weekend to get in at least 1 game.

[cartman]

EF, not sure if you ever got your XBL issues figured out, but if not, I'm available to help this weekend.

[Eaglesfan27]

EF, not sure if you ever got your XBL issues figured out, but if not, I'm available to help this weekend.

This weekend is very tough for me with friends visiting from out of town and me being on call Saturday (bad timing for their visit but they let me know at relatively last minute), but I would definitely like to test it sometime in the next week to see if the problems are fixed. I'm not sure if I have them figured out or not, but I have tried a few new steps.

[General Mike]

I'm doing some testing of my custom conference setup right now. Simmed thru year 1 and ended up with 6 teams at 11-1 going into the bowls. National Championship game ended up being an all-SEC affair between Mississippi State and Alabama.

[Eaglesfan27]

For those experiencing graphical hiccups, you may want to switch from 1080p to a lower resolution. There are people out there reporting that 1080p is causing the issues with hiccups.

[Kodos]

For those experiencing graphical hiccups, you may want to switch from 1080p to a lower resolution. There are people out there reporting that 1080p is causing the issues with hiccups.

I'll give that a try. The constant hiccups drive me nuts.

[General Mike]

I'm doing some testing of my custom conference setup right now. Simmed thru year 1 and ended up with 6 teams at 11-1 going into the bowls. National Championship game ended up being an all-SEC affair between Mississippi State and Alabama.

Year 2, Stanford vs Auburn for the NC. A shortage of bowl eligible teams tho. Cincy and Southern Miss go to bowls at 5-7. Stay tuned for more.

[MacroGuru]

For those experiencing graphical hiccups, you may want to switch from 1080p to a lower resolution. There are people out there reporting that 1080p is causing the issues with hiccups.

That could be why I am not experiencing them.....I am running through my component cable right now as the HDMI port on my TV is messed up.

[MizzouRah]

There are supposedly several rosters out with coaches' names now including from PastaPadre and a few other users:

Patrick Morty - 360
gamingtailgate - PS3

I'm going to give them a try tonight as I can't wait until the weekend to get in at least 1 game.

Thanks, my game won't be in until next week and I always use FK's rosters.. the guy is a class act and I trust his work. :)

Can't wait to read your impressions though!

[BYU 14]

Played several start and stop games with teams around my talent level and ended up with the sliders below

AA - 8 minute Quarters
Game speed - Normal
Speed Threshold - 30

Slider - Hum / CPU
QB acc - 50 / 50
Pass blk - 60 / 55
WR cat - 60 / 60
RB skill - 55 / 60
Run Blk - 55 / 60
Coverage - 40 / 40
Pass rush - 40 / 45
Int - 20 / 15
Run Def - 45 / 50
Tackling - 40 / 50
FG Pow - 40 / 50
FG acc - 40 / 50
Punt Pow - 45 / 50
Punt acc - 50 / 50
KP - 45 / 50

Then to see how I would do against a great running team took on Wisconsin. I have never had as much fun taking a 40-7 ass kicking!

They sodomized my D-Line and ran for 377 yards on 48 carries. James White was 31-297 and the QB made great decisions to scramble. Passing they were 10-15-132 yards, mainly on play action which killed me

My stats were 11 rushes for 7 yards, couldn't get a thing going against their hosses and 18-35 passing for 221 yards, 1 TD and 1 pick. Did hold them to 4 field goals inside the 20 which is a moral victory. AA will definitely be a challenge beating teams that are a lot higher rated than you this time.

[RainMaker]

More impressions please. Siding with not getting it but seeing if there are enough positives to warrant it. Don't trust the impressions at OS at all.

[DaddyTorgo]

Only played one game so far so I don't have any impressions. Have a lot of TV to catch up on. More this weekend.

[BYU 14]

More impressions please. Siding with not getting it but seeing if there are enough positives to warrant it. Don't trust the impressions at OS at all.

I will have more this weekend too, as I am currently just playing exhibition games and tweaking sliders waiting for Buckeyes rosters, but at this point it is already my favorite version. The game play and presentation are very good IMO and I am really looking forward to starting a dynasty.

[Bigsmooth]

Abner's take, fwiw:

NCAA 12: Well, looks like you can close the book on Kellner. | No High Scores (http://www.nohighscores.com/node/1159)

[RainMaker]

That's what I was afraid of. Similar to last year. Will likely pass unless there is a patch that fixes progression (hahahahahaha!).

[Balldog]

I don't understand why it is so hard for them to keep the progressed ratings inline with the default ratings. I already ordered from Amazon so I'm hoping they can address it with a patch but I'm sure they will fuck something else up if they do.

[Balldog]

I'm curious if this has to do with the coaches progression being screwy, people are reporting a coach can go from a D prestige to an A in 1 year.

[flounder]

I don't understand why it is so hard for them to keep the progressed ratings inline with the default ratings.

It's hard to get something right when you don't care about it.

[Logan]

I am doing a coaching carousel dynasty on here if anyone is interested. I am trying to get a feel for how much of a challenge it is so I am starting out as a DC with a 1 star prestige team.

It's about time you realized your on-field play sucked.

[Kodos]

EA Sports: Home of the Game-Killing Bugs!

[General Mike]

Anybody else having problems with this game stalling at the main loading screen? I know it hasn't frozen because I can still hear the ESPN BS in the background, but it just won't move past the Please Wait screen. I'm on PS3

[BYU 14]

Anybody else having problems with this game stalling at the main loading screen? I know it hasn't frozen because I can still hear the ESPN BS in the background, but it just won't move past the Please Wait screen. I'm on PS3

The only lags in on my system are in RTG where it is painfully slow when setting things up.

Haven't played dynasty yet and after hearing about the ratings progression issue I am really disappointed. This game looked to have so much potential and if they can't get that fixed it will pretty much ruin it for me.

EA sports is redefining the definition of insanity. That has been folks biggest complaint about dynasty mode for the last 3 years and it still isn't working, WTF!

[wade moore]

The only lags in on my system are in RTG where it is painfully slow when setting things up.

Haven't played dynasty yet and after hearing about the ratings progression issue I am really disappointed. This game looked to have so much potential and if they can't get that fixed it will pretty much ruin it for me.

EA sports is redefining the definition of insanity. That has been folks biggest complaint about dynasty mode for the last 3 years and it still isn't working, WTF!

The only way to make them change is with your pocket book.

This is why it will be year #2 without me buying it after buying it every year.

It's disappointing, but I'm glad I held out and didn't buy it right away.

[Ksyrup]

Didn't they kinda fix progression last year? Why would they mess with it?

[Philliesfan980]

I'll echo the sentiments in saying thankfully I didn't buy this.

[dubb93]

I believe they can(and did last year) fix progression with tuners.

[Kodos]

Yeah, honestly if this is the worst thing people find, we may be okay.

[BYU 14]

The only way to make them change is with your pocket book.

This is why it will be year #2 without me buying it after buying it every year.

It's disappointing, but I'm glad I held out and didn't buy it right away.

If they fix it I will be back because I love College FB and there is no TCY 2 ;)

But if it is not corrected I won't buy next year on release either, when this has happened multiple times it needs to be a priority and I, like many others got sucked in by the presentation and the conference, playbook and coaching carousel additions. Still love the way the game plays, but I am mostly a dynasty player so I am not going to shell out money again for a game I can't play for 15-20 seasons without knowing it is fixed.

[Kodos]

Statistical Look at Progression (Ongoing) - Operation Sports Forums (http://www.operationsports.com/forums/ncaa-football/493958-statistical-look-progression-ongoing.html)

Interesting thread on the progression issue.

[BYU 14]

Seems like a small tweak will be needed, but nowhere near as apocalyptic as Abner makes it out to be, maybe he should run a few more seasons.

Will be curious to see how things go once I start a dynasty....I could actually live with the numbers from that link, a bit lower would be great, but still not a game killer.

[gstelmack]

The flaw in the study is it's just focusing on 90+ guys. What if there is a bunching up of 80+? That was Abner's concern, every team is basically the same. Agreed though that the numbers are showing that season 2 is bad, but evens out after that maybe.

[Ksyrup]

EA Sports 2012 Orange Bowl simulation - ACC Blog - ESPN (http://espn.go.com/blog/acc/post/_/id/26366/ea-sports-2012-orange-bowl-simulation)

ESPN doing fake highlights of a simulated Orange Bowl between FSU and Louisville. In talking about the players, they are careful to use just their numbers - and then they flash up the score and stats, where they use real names. Add ESPN to the lawsuit!

[Groundhog]

I believe they can(and did last year) fix progression with tuners.

Not at all, they just swung it the opposite direction. Instead of far too many with A+ roster talent, they had far too many with D+. Looks like it's swung back again now. :(

[BYU 14]

Think I have gotten it about right (for me anyway) with the sliders on AA

AA - 8 minute Quarters
Game speed - Normal
Speed Threshold - 25

Slider - Hum / CPU
QB acc - 40 / 40
Pass blk - 60 / 55
WR cat - 65 / 65
RB skill - 60 / 60
Run Blk - 60 / 55
Coverage - 35 / 35
Pass rush - 45 / 30
Int - 20 / 15
Run Def - 50 / 50
Tackling - 35 / 50
FG Pow - 45 / 50
FG acc - 35 / 35
Punt Pow - 50 / 50
Punt acc - 40 / 55
KP - 45 / 50

I am getting good stats and results comparitive to the level of my opposition with these. If anyone else would like to test them I would be interested in feedback.

[DaddyTorgo]

Will take a look at them tonight BYU

[bhlloy]

Let's face it they are never going to get development "right" (at least not to a place where this board is happy) until they go to a model that isn't "everyone comes in at rating x and then develops randomly 3-7 points of OVR every single offseason no matter how many snaps they play or how well they played the season before" They can tone it down or tone it up until the cows come home but if the underlying model doesn't change, the results aren't going to. Not sure what people were really expecting here?

[dubb93]

I took over as the offensive coordination of Indiana last night. Not real happy with what I saw through 2 games by taking the D and ST out of my hands. In two games we missed 3 extra points(with a guy kicking the ball rated above 80) and also allowed 2 kickoffs to be returned for TDs EACH game.

Small sample size, blah, blah, blah. I think I will stick to playing the games out.

[Ksyrup]

I usually sim 3-4 years before I take over a team for real, so when I get teh game, I might do the same starting as an OC. I get canned, so what? I'll start over. I get a few years into it, then I'll grab a HC job and play for real.

[whomario]

my game officially won´t arrive for the weekend, still "prepared for shipping" (and it´s near 5.30 pm here) ...

If anything is bugged it seems to be Head Coach Prestige (but aparently it doesn´t have much impact outside recruiting and there it´s the same/too high then for everybody).

I actually don´t think ratings/progression is all that bad really. Stats from a guy from the OS forums :

http://i896.photobucket.com/albums/ac165/EvanRG/Screenshot2011-07-14at105355PM.png

There´s 305 guys rated 90+ in the 1st season roster (and i guess most of those are Soph, JR or SRs that were in the base roster) compared to 468 in season 9 going back to 393 in season 11 which indicated that the high mark was partly due to a couple super recruiting classes.
And there is a ton of guys that are barely rated 90+ (199 players in season 11 are 90 or 91)
The weird drop from season 2 to 3 would mean that the sophomores in the base rosters are really lowly rated btw, that´s a weird drop.

Sure it´s a tad bit strong, but it seems far from catastrophical to me and i could very well see that this is merely a cosmetical problem and doesn´t actually screw with gameplay and simmed results/season stats all that much.
Plus even a 99 rated guy isn´t nescessarily perfect and for a couple positions a 90 rating is very easy to achieve because there´s few core ratings (linemen, Kickers/Punters).
There seem to be too many outstanding quarterbacks though.

I´m definitely willing to give them the benefit of the doubt here.

[mh2365]

Just got the game ... did EA Sports seriously take out Multi-Player Franchise mode?

[SirFozzie]

A) You need online pass to play
B) If you don't get the premium addon, you can only do one OD at a time.. (those who do can do five)

[Kodos]

Just got the game ... did EA Sports seriously take out Multi-Player Franchise mode?

Nope. It's called Online Dynasty.

[mh2365]

I'm talking about sitting in the same room and playing a franchise with your kids ... did they really take this out?

[whomario]

I'm talking about sitting in the same room and playing a franchise with your kids ... did they really take this out?


just start a franchise, then you can add as many human coaches as you like, at least that´s how it worked in 11 :)

[Kodos]

I'm not sure you can do that, actually. I know you could do it last year, but I didn't see the option last night when I was screwing around with it.

[mh2365]

just start a franchise, then you can add as many human coaches as you like, at least that´s how it worked in 11 :)

been playing it forever so it's not that I don't know how to do it ... I was told that they took it out

[ColtCrazy]

Came back from a short trip to Indy and had the game waiting on me today.

Played my first game, using IU, and had my best start ever in a sports game. I returned the opening kickoff for a TD. Ended up beating Rice 52-6. Didn't throw a pick, ended up going 16-22 for 248 and 2 TDs. Ran very well, thanks to two big runs, 260 yards and 3 TDs on 16 carries. About 130 of that was on two runs. Rice is a very poor team, though I did play on the default setting and I will have to move that up then adjust sliders.

I absolutely love the running in this game. Passing isn't too bad either, but you do need some pocket awareness. They beat me deep on one long pass, but defensively I like the feel of the game.

The player progression scares me for dynasty mode. #1 reason I passed on last year's version, but I'm hoping it's more like whomario has talked about and not a deal breaker. May scrap my Premiership style system since I saw the cap on the number of teams that can be moved.

[rowech]

I didn't buy this this year but my brother is telling me there is a bug where if you're playing in a conference with a title game, you won't be able to sim the conference title game week when you get there based on what he's been able to figure out.

This might have been mentioned already...not sure.

[ColtCrazy]

Played another game on default, definitely more competitive this time. I was Ole Miss, and I beat MTSU 34-28. I got down 7-0 early because I was dinking and dunking too much. Finally got a 17-7 lead in the 3rd before causing a fumble on an option and returning it for a TD for a 24-7 lead. Game over? Not quite.

MTSU hit a deep pass to cut it to 24-14. They onside kicked, got it, and drove to my 3. They opted to go for it on 4th and short and failed (odd, there was still 3mins left, I would have cut it to one score) Trapped deep, they stacked the run. I audibled to a short pass and the LB read the play and got a pick 6! I returned the kickoff for a TD for breathing room. They scored again, but I recovered the onside kick and kicked a field goal for the final margin. Fun game that shouldn't have been that close.

[SegRat]

I have only played a few games, 2 kids really puts a dent in my game time. So far I love the game play. My first game had my running back mocked back 2 yards and then hit the sidelines for 20 yards. Tonight my WR's were dropping everything. I threw a paerfect pass about 40 yards, hits the WR in the hands and he drops it. Also had WR's dropping the ball after getting hit. This game is really starting yo look like the things you see on Saturday. I wish the commentary was better, however I just shut that off and listen to the pa announcer and the sounds of the fans and the plays on the field.